Catalina 34

General Activities => Main Message Board => Topic started by: derekb on December 19, 2017, 02:10:40 AM

Title: New owner, boat now in Geelong
Post by: derekb on December 19, 2017, 02:10:40 AM
Hi All,

I'm in the process of buying a very old C34, could be hull number 29, and she's in need of much TLC.

Currently located at Williamstown, Victoria, Australia, and after Christmas I'll be sailing her over to Geelong, where I'm a member at Royal Geelong.

Here she is after having anti-foul refreshed:
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4588/25288005988_1fe4c9c80d_z.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/EwBDaf)

IMG_6123_resize (https://flic.kr/p/EwBDaf) by Derek Buckmaster (https://www.flickr.com/photos/46332425@N04/), on Flickr

I've already trawled through many of the posts on the message board and in the tech Notes, what an amazing resource.

I'm looking forward to my first "Catalina summer", starting next week!

Regards,
Derek
Title: Re: New owner, boat soon to be in Geelong
Post by: Bill Shreeves on December 19, 2017, 03:50:53 AM
Congratulations and welcome aboard!
Title: Re: New owner, boat soon to be in Geelong
Post by: DaveBMusik on December 19, 2017, 04:03:52 AM
Congrats and Welcome!
Title: Re: New owner, boat soon to be in Geelong
Post by: derekb on December 19, 2017, 04:14:39 AM
And here's my first question...

Can anyone tell me what these lines on the foredeck are for? At first I thought a spinnaker pole down-haul, but now I'm not so sure...

(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4590/27378426619_39bffbd550_b.jpg)
IMG_5989_resize (https://flic.kr/p/HHkAog) by Derek Buckmaster (https://www.flickr.com/photos/46332425@N04/), on Flickr

Regards,
Derek
Title: Re: New owner, boat soon to be in Geelong
Post by: britinusa on December 19, 2017, 04:43:14 AM
Welcome Derek.

I'm guessing a local mod.

Q's for you: Is that a Keel Stepped mast, if so, it's the cleanest cabin top I've seen.

OBTW: My Sis lives in Tasi and other family in Perth.

Paul
Title: Re: New owner, boat soon to be in Geelong
Post by: MarcZ on December 19, 2017, 06:49:53 AM
Hello and Congratulations  :party

Where are all these lines go ?  top of the mast  ?  is it one line or 2 lines
Mast looks deck stepped , can you post more pics of the upper part showing the other end of the setup ?

Btw
I must say your cradle makes me nervous .... I don't see much support preventing boat form pitching aft or forward


Title: Re: New owner, boat soon to be in Geelong
Post by: mark_53 on December 19, 2017, 11:06:44 AM
Quote from: derekb on December 19, 2017, 04:14:39 AM
And here's my first question...

Can anyone tell me what these lines on the foredeck are for? At first I thought a spinnaker pole down-haul, but now I'm not so sure...

Not to be a smart a$$ but lines are used to connect one end of something to another.  Only you can tell us what each end is connected to.
Title: Re: New owner, boat soon to be in Geelong
Post by: derekb on December 20, 2017, 04:46:23 AM
OK, mystery solved, by further investigation and figuring...

The loose line through one of the blocks is indeed the spinnaker pole down-haul. It is cleated at the mast on one end and has a snap shackle at the other end.

The taught line through the other block turns out to be the spinnaker pole topping lift, but I have no idea why it leads through a block on the fore-deck. The block will shortly be removed and the topping lift routed in a more logical fashion!

MarcZ, I agree, the boat didn't look properly supported on that cradle. But that's how the yard manager did it, and all the boats in the yard were sitting in the same precarious fashion. It's back in the water now, was only out for 2 days for cleaning and anti-foul.

The mast is indeed deck-stepped.

Regards,
Derek
Title: Re: New owner, boat soon to be in Geelong
Post by: Mas Tequila on December 21, 2017, 07:40:06 AM
A very old boat? Hull # 29? Why that's a spring chicken. We have hull # 11  :D Congratulations on your new to you boat your going to love it. This site has been a tremendous resource for us and the people are just great.   
Title: Re: New owner, boat soon to be in Geelong
Post by: scgunner on December 21, 2017, 08:35:24 AM
     I knew the guy who had hull no. #1, the name of the boat was "Puffin".
Title: Re: New owner, boat soon to be in Geelong
Post by: lucky on December 21, 2017, 09:28:28 AM
I got hull #13
Title: Re: New owner, boat soon to be in Geelong
Post by: Ben H. on December 22, 2017, 11:39:09 AM
Congratulations! :thumb:
Title: Re: New owner, boat soon to be in Geelong
Post by: Ron Hill on December 23, 2017, 01:00:42 PM
Derek : Congratulations, but What's on the transom?
Title: Re: New owner, boat soon to be in Geelong
Post by: DaveBMusik on December 23, 2017, 05:52:58 PM
Quote from: Ron Hill on December 23, 2017, 01:00:42 PM
Derek : Congratulations, but What's on the transom?

Propane tank is my guess
Title: Re: New owner, boat soon to be in Geelong
Post by: Dave Spencer on December 24, 2017, 04:57:47 AM
Certainly a propane tank on the pushpit rail but I think Ron was asking about what appears to be a fold down swim platform on the transom.  We'll look forward to some more pictures and a description of it from Australia. 
Title: Re: New owner, boat soon to be in Geelong
Post by: derekb on December 31, 2017, 10:08:14 PM
Quote from: Ron Hill on December 23, 2017, 01:00:42 PM
Derek : Congratulations, but What's on the transom?

Hi Ron, yes, she has a propane tank on the pushpit rail (we call it LPG - Liquid Petroleum Gas - here Down Under) and a fold-down swim platform attached to the transom. Not sure when this was added, but it sure is handy.

It's supported by two wire ropes, one each side. I'll be adding some form of step or ladder to get down onto it, as its a big step down from the transom to the swim platform. I'll send more photos shortly, as I'm doing some cleaning, and the platform is coming off for painting.

Regards,
Derek
Title: Re: New owner, boat soon to be in Geelong
Post by: derekb on April 02, 2018, 05:19:23 AM
Well I have to say I've been very excited to receive my first hard copy of "Mainsheet", and was I thrilled to see a C34 MkI on the cover, seeing that I own one now!

I've confirmed that Esprit is indeed hull #29, and we had an eventful sail from Williamstown to Geelong just after Christmas (no riser loop in the bilge pump line, and a non-functional bilge pump, so we took on some water in a following sea). The photo below shows her in her new home at Royal Geelong Yacht Club just after we arrived, back on January 27th.

(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/878/41137381312_04bf11ff97_z.jpg)

Since the photo was taken, I've checked off all the items on the "critical upgrades" list (luckily the previous owner had already completed most of these), replaced all the lifelines, removed some non-functional equipment (like a rusty home DVD system, etc), replaced the raw-water pump impeller and started cleaning and maintenance on 100 things that were neglected while she wasn't sailed for about 5 years (according to the broker).

I've also started staying aboard for several nights a week (to eliminate 2-3 hours of commuting between Melbourne and Geelong each day), so that's been very enjoyable. Esprit is the only C34 in Geelong, but there are several other Catalina's in our marina.

All in all a very enjoyable summer.

Regards,
Derek